The Lion, The Sheep, and The Scorpion
by Kounellii
Summary: It's summer time, 7 yr old Milo, Aiolia, & Mu meet Kanon. Set before they attained their Gold Cloths. Last ch: Saga and the other goldies have a sleepover in the Garden of Narcissus while Mu finds a cute treasure. Special epilogue with Aioros and Shion.
1. Triple Threat

**The Lion, The Sheep, and The Scorpion**

Irrelevant Maverick's comments: This story is NOT based on The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. This story is about, you guessed it!, Aiolia, Mu, and Milo when they were still training in Sanctuary.

Disclaimer: I disclaim Saint Seiya/Knights of The Zodiac… for now. LOL.

-+-+The Triple Threat+-+-

Two young boys, one with brown hair and the other with purple hair are lying flat on the grass. Each were propped up on their elbows, hands locked on each other's as they…

"… declare a THUMBS OF WAR!" cried Aiolia and Milo in unison.

Pushing with all their might in their little arms, Aiolia slowly brings down Milo's thumb. But not for long, as slowly Milo brings his thumb back up.

"Just give up, Aio! There's no way I'm gonna let you win!" provoked Milo, smirking. He had just mastered Scarlet Needle, a move that his own master had said took him 3 years to master. Milo was confident that his cosmo was definitely stronger than Aiolia's… He was going to own him!

"Milo, you are looking at the future Leo Gold Saint! Better if YOU give up now so I won't push you around when I become a Gold Saint," said Aiolia, in a cocky voice. But he also adds, "But no guarantee I won't push you around though."

The two were once again trying to prove their worth. It was part of their daily arguments, showing off their growing strength in a child's game since real fights between two saints were not allowed in Sanctuary.

After a few more minutes of insults, Milo's thumb finally goes down. Aiolia gets up and does his happy dance, which consisted of twirling around 3 times and swinging his arms side-to-side like a gorilla. Milo hated Aiolia's happy dance, mostly because of how ridiculous he looked doing it.

"So now what do you want to do?" asked Aiolia, immediately bored after their thumbs of war game. He was best known for his short attention span.

Milo crosses his arms and thinks.

"Man, it's just too hot! It's a good thing saints don't train during summertime!" said Aiolia, wiping away the sweat on his forehead. Saints who trained in Greece, at least, were ordered to stop training. The heat would kill the younger saints. During summer, they were told to "train their minds" as advised by Shion, but none of the younger saints ever took that advice seriously.

Milo looks over the edge of the cliff. Then his face brightens up. Turning to his friend he says, "Aio, let's go get Mu! He should've mastered that teleporting technique by now!"

Aiolia nods in agreement and takes off after Milo. They head over to the Saint's Coliseum where they knew Mu and his master would be "training their minds" as Mu focuses on his telekinetic powers.

::10 minutes later::

"HAHA! I got here first!" called Milo, as he skids to a stop before the tree that they labeled as the finishing line. They turned their running into a race, with both running at a MACH speed of 5… not yet a gold saint's speed.

Aiolia slows down and pants, hands on his knees. He hadn't gotten used to running at MACH speed yet, what with all the colors passing by in a blur. He was already feeling his lunch coming up. Milo, feeling sorry for Aiolia, pats him on the back. He takes this opportunity to discuss their "How to Get Mu Out of Training and Into Trouble With Us" tactic.

Aiolia slowly fights his queasy stomach. "Can't we just call Mu over?"

Milo karate chops Aiolia's head, receiving an "Ouch!" in response. "How many times do I have to tell you? We can't just call Mu over! His master is also _the_ master of Sanctuary you dingbat!"

Aiolia frowns and pushes the lump on his head back in. Milo sits down next to him, both pondering how they can capture their friend for their next adventure. But little do they know that they were followed. A hand presses down on Aiolia's and Milo's shoulder, fear and surprise shooting them clear to the moon. They jumped up and fell backwards, with their faces looking up at a golden-haired young man with a red bandanna tied around his forehead.

"I knew I'd find you two scheming up here," said Aioros, leaning over their faces. Aiolia's older brother, aka Sanctuary's sweet heart and Sagittarius Gold Saint. He laughed at their shocked faces.

Aiolia speaks up first. "Nii-san, we were just thinking about calling Mu over, that's all."

Milo, from behind Aioros, was holding his arms up in an X, shaking his head, but too late. Aiolia had already spilled the beans on getting Mu involved in their shenanigans.

"Hmm… well, I do think the Master is really bearing down on Mu lately. I think I'll ask him to let you guys borrow Mu… for today that is," said Aioros thoughtfully, wondering what consequences or scoldings this will earn him later.

Milo, hearing that the Master of Sanctuary was being harsher on his good friend Mu, asked Aioros, "How come he has to be stricter on Mu?"

Aioros, upon hearing the question, glances down the hill over to where Master Shion and Mu were meditating. He sighs and looks at the younger saints.

"There's a lot of pressure on Mu to be the next Aries Gold Saint. His own Master, as you know, is also the same master of all the Saints so if his student fails to attain a Gold cloth, it would reflect poorly on him. And it doesn't help that the Master was also the former Aries Gold Saint."

Milo and Aiolia looked at each other. They both didn't know that Mu, who turned down their offer to go into town or engage in fights against other trainees, was under so much pressure. But Milo turned to Aioros and smiled mischievously. The Sagittarius saint sighed inwardly.

"Well, Aio and I are going to give Mu the time of his life!" delared Milo proudly, clapping his arm around Aiolia and pumping his other fist in the air.

_Uh-oh!_ thought Aioros.

EXTRA: My first fic with Aioros in it! After seeing the combination of Mu, Aiolia, and Milo doing the Athena Exclamation, I always wondered what those guys might've done together when they were kids. Please review!


	2. Cape Sounion

**The Lion, The Sheep, and The Scorpion**

Irrelevant Maverick's comments: Only Shura, Aphrodite, Deathmask, Saga, and Aioros have their Gold Cloths. FYI, Shura, Aphro, and DM are 2-3 years older than Mu, Aiolia, Milo, Shaka, Camus, & Aldebaran, while Saga and Aioros are the oldest at 15. Whoa, is that who I think it is???

phoenixfirekitsune, thank you for reviewing!

Disclaimer: I disclaim Saint Seiya...

-+-+Cape Sounion+-+-

7 year old Mu was concentrating on his telekinetic powers. He was sitting cross-legged in mid-air. He learned that lifting other objects with your mind was _much_ easier than lifting yourself. After a few more excruciating minutes, he gave in.

"MU! Are you okay?!" yelled Milo and Aiolia. Aioros got there first and helped Mu off the ground. His body was shaking due to the effort of levitating himself for 3 straight hours.

Mu quickly lets go of Aioros' hand and dusts off his pants. "I'm fine. Thank you Aioros," whispered Mu quietly, looking at the ground in embarrassment.

"Aioros, shouldn't you be patrolling the west side of Sanctuary?" asked Shion, from behind his mask.

Turning to the renowned rascals, he speaks in a stern voice, "Milo, Aiolia. I thought I told you to train your minds. You should take this opportunity to read philosophy books and practice your writing."

Milo and Aiolia looked down at the ground. Even though the Master did not raise his voice, it still caused them to feel guilty.

"Well, I mean, we were kind of doing that... But brother has a question for you!" added Aiolia as everyone looks in Aioros' direction. He sighs.

"About that, Master, I think that Mu has trained enough for today. His 'mind training' seems to have gone well so why don't you let him, er… spar with Milo and Aiolia!" said Aioros, crossing his fingers behind his back. Milo and Aiolia did likewise.

Shion glances at Mu. Taking in the dirt, and his quiet but serious little face, he sighs. He nods in reluctant consent and crosses his arms.

"YAY!" cried Milo and Aiolia, slapping high-fives. Mu looks up, staring wide-eyed at his Master. "Master! You can be so awesome sometimes!" added Aiolia, putting his hand on Mu's shoulder. Aioros begins to laugh but quickly covers his mouth as the Master looks in his direction.

"Today is much hotter than these past few days. Mu, I'd like you to take this day to recuperate your strength," said Shion. He turns around and heads back for his chambers.

"But Master! I-" called Mu, grabbing onto the hems of Shion's robe.

"Mu! There comes a point when training any further would be torture for your body," replied Shion, walking as his robes slipped slowly out of Mu's hand.

As he walks away, he doesn't see that the three boys and Aioros had bowed down in respect. Milo gets up first.

"Isn't this great Mu! Even Master has given his stamp of approval to have fun!" exclaimed Aiolia. Aioros had already begun walking away, but he smiled at what his little brother had said.

Mu looks over at his two troublesome friends.

"C'mon Mu! Don't be such a slowpoke!" yelled Aiolia as he and Milo began running out of the forest.

Hesitantly, Mu looks back at his Master's retreating figure. He turns around and smiles. "Wait for me you guys!"

"It's a long way til we get there, so let's play Chase Master!" suggested Milo. He loved playing Chase Master. Being the fastest in Sanctuary was what he was aiming for. After all, half of his needle attacks required him to run fast. Gold Saint fast.

"But I hate Chase Master! It's so boring," pouted Aiolia. He hated Chase Master because he always ended up being the one who had to chase people. Milo always Scarlet Needles his butt while Mu playfully teleported just as he thought he'd caught him.

Mu laughs. "Aiolia, we haven't played Chase Master in months. Besides, how do you know you'll be Chase Master again?" Milo smirks.

Aiolia narrows his eyes and ponders the odds that he'd be Chase Master again. "Okay, fine. No tricks you guys! And DON'T USE YOUR POWERS!"

Mu nodded in agreement while Milo just crossed his arms and sighs. The three boys gathered in a circle.

"Twenty-one fingers are it I count…" chanted Mu, Milo, and Aiolia at once. But Milo and Aiolia added something, "No you don't, shut your mouth!"

Mu begins counting, as usual. As the number 21 slowly came around, Aiolia tried to change his finger count.

"Hey! NO CHEATING AIO! You're IT!" yelled Milo as he and Mu laughingly ran straight for the beach.

"ARGH! ALRIGHT THEN! WHEN I CATCH YOU, YOU'LL HAVE TO WASH ME AND MY BROTHER'S CLOTHES FOR TWO WEEKS!"

Milo gives him a stink eye while Mu stuck his tongue out. Aiolia chased them into the shallow part of the beach. But Mu loses his footing and falls into the water.

"No Mu! Mu, where are you?!" cried Aiolia as he runs towards the spot where Mu fell in. He feels something clamp onto his leg.

"AHHHHHH! LOCHNESS MONSTERRRRR!!!" screamed Aiolia as he tried to run through the water. He falls face-first into the ocean ((OUCH!)) Mu rises out of the water and laughs at his fallen comrade. His hair, which was tied back, was now loosely draping over his shoulders, sparkling in the summer sun.

Milo cackles and points as he sees that Aiolia had an angry crab on his head. He freaks out and does a water dance consisting of him kicking water up and trying to shake his head. The crab falls and pinches Aiolia's nose.

Mu hurriedly rushes forward. He gently pries the crab's claw open and lets him loose into the water. Mu guides Aiolia by the hand over to the beach. He pats his crab-beaten friend on the back as he watches Aiolia's tears mix with the ocean water.

"Here, use this," said Milo worriedly, giving Aiolia a small cloth that he found on a rock. Aiolia wipes away the blood from the claw marks on his nose.

"Wanks wuys," muttered Aiolia as he holds the cloth over his nose. Mu raises his dotted eyebrows in amusement while Milo shakes his head.

Turning to Milo, Mu asks, "Where did you get that dry cloth from?"

Milo shrugged. He points at a flat rock among a mountain of pointy ones. The three boys looked up curiously at the giant heap of rocks.

"I know! Whoever climbs to the top first is the King of the Rocks!" yelled Milo. He grabbed onto a rock and began finding footholds. Mu, who was curious like any other boy, held back to lend Aiolia a shoulder. Together, they followed Milo's pathway up the rocks.

Aiolia stuffs the bloody cloth into his pocket. He puts his finger to his lips, telling Mu to be quiet. Mu chuckles and pulls Aiolia up over the last rock.

"OH YEAH! I am the King you guys! Bow before me!" cried Milo into the roaring wind.

"BOW BEFORE _THIS_!" yelled Aiolia, as he does a weak form of his Lightning Plasma. Milo gets blown back and falls over the edge.

"MILO!" cried Mu and Aiolia. They rushed over and saw that he was safe. But safe in a stranger's arms.

"HEY! What're you brats doing here?!" yelled a young man, with aqua-blue long hair and wearing light-blue training garments.

"SAGA?!" exclaimed Mu and Aiolia at once.

EXTRA: No boys, it's Saga's twin. Kanon is not imprisoned yet but as the Saint Seiya storyline goes, nobody knew that Saga had a twin. But of course, he wanders in Sanctuary in secret. I think Saga trained his younger brother himself. Please review!

**Saint Seiya Hades Manga scanlations** at: saintseiya.thehua(dot)com. Credit goes to **thehua** and **sonmichael** who gave me permission to post the link. Please leave a Thank You at their forum.


	3. Things That Go Bump In a Cave

**The Lion, The Sheep, and The Scorpion**

Irrelevant Maverick's comments: Even though Mu is the ram, I thought the title sounded weird with ram. Now that I think about it, it sounds a little better instead of sheep. I just thought the 's' sounds make the title sound smoother.

Disclaimer: I disclaim Saint Seiya, but I sure wish I could draw Aiolia, Mu, and Milo.

-+-+To the Batcave+-+-

Mu and Aiolia rubbed their eyes hard. There was Saga looking up at them, but with aqua-colored hair instead of his usual royal purple.

"Well? Are you mute or something?" Kanon raised his voice above the sound of the waves crashing against the wall of rocks. He had a scowl on his face, still cradling an unconscious Milo in his arm.

Mu's dotted eyebrows came together. Clearly this man wasn't Saga. His voice and manner of speaking was far from polite. But Aiolia on the other hand, just thought Saga dyed his hair blue.

"Ah, um, Saga, we're really sorry! We were just playing around! I didn't mean to-!"

"Huh? I'm not-! I mean, well, you two just come down here!" called Kanon. _Feh, I thought I sensed some weak cosmos. If they know Saga, then they must be trainees of Sanctuary._

As Mu teleports down towards them, he doesn't notice Kanon's devious smile. Quickly, it changes to a gentle smile as the Aries student looks up at him.

"Now where's the other one?"

Kanon and Mu looked up.

Aiolia was on his hands and knees, peering nervously down 30 feet of jagged rocks.

"Um, c-can't you guys just come up here? B-besides, it's a dead-end. This wall is blocking a small part of the beach and behind it is a cliff!"

"What! Don't tell me you're sc-. Er, I found a _secret_ cave and I'd like to show it to you if you come down here," amended Kanon.

Aiolia's curiosity was sparked enough to momentarily forget his fear. He stared wide-eyed at the dark opening of the cave at the bottom of the cliff. He prepared to jump, but at the last minute, grabbed onto the ledge of the rock to climb down.

It was far easier for him to climb up than to jump straight down.

_Jeez, he's going to take forever. Argh!_ thought Kanon angrily. While he watched Aiolia make his slow descent, Mu chanced a glance at him.

"Sir, who are y..?"

"AW CRAP!" cried Kanon as he shoves Milo into Mu's arms and in a flash, had one arm around Aiolia and his other hand clinging onto a ledge.

"AIOLIA!" cried Mu and a rudely awakened Milo.

Today was just not Aiolia's day. Whatever tears he held back when he got pinched by the crab came bursting out.

_Just great! I saved a crybaby_, thought Kanon irritatedly. But his irked expression changed as he looked at little Aiolia's tear-stained face.

Hesitatingly, he pulls him closer to his chest. The motion caused Aiolia to stop crying as he looks closer at him. _This man…he isn't Saga, but who..?_

Gripping onto the ledge lightly, Kanon says in a gruff voice, "Stop crying. I'm going to push off from the rocks and jump down."

Aiolia made a low moan of protest.

_His heart…it's beating so fast_, thought Kanon. Without thinking, he eases a hand on top of the little saint with the same hand from the arm tight around him.

"Do you trust me?"

Aiolia's eyes widened. His ear could also make out the steady beating of the older boy's heart. Closing his eyes and pressing his face against Kanon's chest, he nodded. With a firm push off from the rocks, he swiftly wraps both arms around Aiolia.

"You guys okay?" asked Milo anxiously. Kanon lowered the future Leo saint to the ground so that he could slide down.

"Yeah, I'm okay! Um, thanks Sag-I mean, Mister!"

"Thanks Mister for catching me!" added Milo as he and Aiolia blushed at their blue-haired hero. Mu however, regarded Kanon with wary green eyes. But his suspicion dissolved a little after seeing him calm down his friend.

Kanon raised an eyebrow. "I have a name, and it's not Mister."

"What is it then, Sir?" asked Mu evenly.

_This kid's pretty sharp…but annoyingly so, like Saga_, thought Kanon as he returned the pink-haired boy's stare.

"My name's…" started Kanon, as he casts his gaze around for a pseudonym. He didn't want these boys to go around telling everybody they met a guy named Kanon, lest Saga or the Master hears. He looks up at the sky.

"It's Icarus."

Mu blinks slowly.

"As in Icarus from Greek Mythology? The boy who, along with his father, created man-made wings. But after they took flight, out of sheer curiosity, flew too high and was scorched by the sun to death?"

Milo and Aiolia sweatdropped. _Master Shion sure tells some weird bedtime stories!_

"Er, yeah. My, ah, Father likes those Greek Myths. Reads it everyday."

Mu's eyes darkened. Kanon crossed his fingers behind his back.

"Wow! So Icarus, what was it you wanted to show us?" asked Aiolia eagerly.

_One minute they're crying, the next they're jumping for joy_, thought Kanon. He folds his arms across his chest.

"Hmm…I'll show it to you, but only if you promise not to tell anyone and only do what I say."

"WE PROMISE!" shouted Milo and Aiolia while Mu eyed Kanon.

Kanon beckons to them. His new 'fans' immediately scampered to be on either side of him. The young Aries followed silently behind them. They crossed quietly into the shadows of the cave. The only sound was their own footfalls and something in the distance that sounded like dripping water.

In the darkness, Kanon gets a deliciously evil idea. In a low and serious tone of voice, he begins to tell one of the stories he's heard from Saga.

"You know, I remember the legend of this cave. In mythological times, Athena would punish many warriors by locking them up here in this cave. She'd use her cosmos to create unbreakable bars and only the ocean's waves could enter. It was meant as a slow death. She had a good sense of humor don't you think?"

Milo and Aiolia could hear their own rapid heartbeats as they clung to Kanon's arms.

"Are you criticizing her?" asked Mu, his green eyes narrowing just slightly.

Nobody could see his face, but Kanon's expression was one of annoyance.

"Just commenting. Many warriors went insane, trying to keep above the rising level of water. They even ate fish and crabs raw just to keep from starving. To this day, nobody can find their dead bodies. At night, when the wind howls, they say their spirits continue to beat against the bars, screaming in terror for help."

Milo and Aiolia: "CAN WE GO BACK NOW?"

The older boy smirked. _Such scaredy cats_. He pushes them ahead of him. "Not until I show you something _really_ neat."

The scared boys walked side-by-side, trying not to think about dead bodies. They walked on carefully, hoping not to accidentally step on one.

"Stop you two!" called Mu as he ran behind them. Suddenly, the temperature dropped.

"What in the heck? Are any of you using ice attacks?" asked Kanon grumpily, trying to see the children. Unfortunately, they were way too far from the entrance and any light source to see in the dark.

"AHHHH!" screamed Milo. They hear a splash of water.

"MILO!" The others rushed forward, feeling what appears to be a small lake of water. Mu takes hold of Milo's arm.

"Ouch! There's some pointy stuff on my butt!"

"Hahahaha!" Kanon couldn't help but laugh in relief. It was still very cold, but not enough to stifle his curiosity. Looking ahead, he sees a small shaft of light from the ceiling reflecting on…

"Crystals! Stalactites and stalagmites!" cried Kanon. "Hurry up and get those crystals out of your buttocks!"

Mu, Milo, and Aiolia trudged through the three feet deep lake. As their eyes adjusted, the light reflecting off the water casts a white light in a small part of the cave. Against the wall, rainbow colors danced as reflections from the crystals.

"Wowwwwwwww!"

EXTRA: One more chapter. Saga becomes worried about his twin and the other saints (like Aphrodite) try to cheer him up, although they don't know about him hiding a twin. Aioros helps out too while Kanon continues baby-sitting, but will Mu ever trust him? Please review!


	4. Mini Zodiac

**The Lion, The Sheep, & The Scorpion**

Mav's comments: This chapter's title has ½ in it because it's like Lion King 1 ½, the back story. Special epilogue between Aioros and Shion too!

Disclaimer: I don't own Saint Seiya although I wonder if Kurumada would let me write a movie script for itXP

-+Saint Seiya ½+-

Dirt kicked up into the air as a gust of wind sailed by the abandoned ruins where Saga stood.

_Where are you Kanon? _thought Saga anxiously. His dark green eyes narrowed as he clutched his head. Another voice seemed to whisper into his ear, _Why don't we ask him to join us?_

_Shut up! _thought the young Gemini fiercely. The voice only laughed.

The afternoon heat was beating down hard, yet Saga continued to stay in the same desolate spot that he's always been in; always the one waiting for his twin.

"SAGA!" yelled a rather high-pitched voice, nearly making Saga, er, rain down on his nether region.

Looking wildly around for the one who called him, his eyes widened as he saw the Gold Saint of Pisces frowning up at him.

_NO! He's not supposed to know! _thought Saga frantically, a million excuses flying through his mind. Unfortunately, the evil laughter in the back of his mind wasn't helping.

"Uh, ahem. Aphrodite, w-what brings you here? In fact, why don't you explain to me why you're not training," said Saga, trying to keep a stern tone in his voice.

_Very smooth_, snickered the evil voice.

_No thanks to you_, snarled Saga inwardly.

But Saga quickly blushed as he realized that he was making a face while thinking that. Aphrodite's eyebrows went up.

"Well, as I have just told you, Aioros and the others are looking for you. And you know how Aioros is: when he's got a plan, he involves everyone. When nobody could find you, I thought about coming here."

"What do you mean, Aphrodite? How do you know about this place?"

The young Pisces, sensing that he stumbled upon something he shouldn't have, carefully answered, "I've seen you a couple times, um, walking back to Sanctuary from this direction…"

Saga gave a sigh of relief and then lowering his head, he fixed his eyes straight onto Aphrodite's and said, "Well, don't let me catch you near here again. Swear to me that you won't tell anyone about this place, okay Aphrodite?"

_Guess I'd better not mention I've seen his twin too. _"Of course. Now can we go see Aioros?"

Saga laughed. "Sure, I don't want him leaving any arrows in my bed like last time."

Meanwhile back in the cave…

Mu watched Icarus lead them further into the cave.

Milo asked, "Mr. Icarus, are we almost there yet?"

_Hmm… should I really show it to them? Saga would just KILL me if I did… oh well. _

"Yeah, but before we get there, we're going to have to split up."

"WHAT?" yelped Milo and Aiolia.

"And why would we need to do that?" asked Mu, or rather, he stated it.

"I haven't been this far into the cave, _Mu_, since I was your age. And if you were looking ahead, instead of looking at our behinds, you'd notice that there's a fork in the cave."

Kanon smirked at Mu, who was trying not to blush. Not wanting to admit he wasn't paying attention, retorted, "Can't you remember which way you went? You're not an old man, even my Master who is 50 times older than you doesn't have a poor memory."

"Yet," sneered Kanon. That stung Mu.

"How dare you!" cried out Mu, who was held back by Aiolia.

"I don't know if you're new around here, but the Master of Sanctuary is an honorable old guy, so whatever you say, we'll make you eat your words!" cried Milo defensively. Aiolia nodded.

"Is that how you speak to the one who saved your life?" snarled Kanon, his temper rising.

"You saved our lives Icarus, but man, why are you making fun of the Master for?" demanded Aiolia.

"Why? WHY? You brats don't know anything about him! Even though he's your so-called Master, he's deceiving you! He's nothing but a decrepit, old-"

"Milo, Aiolia, let's go. We'll take one side, and Icarus can take the other. We'll see what he's left here that seems so important to him."

"B-but Mu! Wait!" cried the two as they hurried after Mu, leaving Kanon fuming.

In the Garden of Narcissus…

"This garden is friggen' _huge_!" shouted Deathmask.

"That's not nice, Deathmask. Don't say huge or Aldebaran might think you're talking about him," teased Shura.

Aldebaran stuck his tongue out, but wasn't angered in the least.

Saga breathed in the various fragrances of the white narcissus and purple orchids growing on either side of the worn dirt path they trodded.

The least excitable of the bunch: Shaka, Camus, Shura, and Aphrodite were walking just ahead of Saga and Aioros, taking in the sights. And indeed, this counted as one of the rare occasions Shaka actually kept his eyes open.

Saga watched as Deathmask and Aldebaran raced ahead towards a young Olive tree.

"I knew Deathmask would win," said Aioros, startling Saga. They watched as the two young saints' gestures from afar clued in on who won… with Deathmask jumping up and down with a gleeful smile on his face.

Turning to his best friend, he quietly asked, "Oh? You didn't have faith in Aldebaran?"

And Aioros smiled. "Of course I did. I had faith in Aldebaran letting Deathmask win."

"What?" asked Saga, stopping in his tracks. But Aioros laughed at his friend's bewildered expression. _Aioros has some great insights on people… maybe he'll be chosen to be the next Master…_

"NEVER!"

Aioros stopped laughing. Everyone turned to look at Saga. Covering his mouth, Saga hastily added, "I mean, I _never_ thought of that!"

The other saints returned to their walk. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Aioros staring at him.

"Well, I've never thought of it that way. It does seem like something Aldebaran would do," said Saga rather sheepishly.

Aioros just nodded and continued walking beside him in silence.

"Aioros, thanks. I-I'm not feeling well these days... so I appreciate you not asking me about it. But you know, I'm glad your plan was to just take a stroll."

And Aioros immediately brightened up. "Just take a stroll? No way! We're having some barbecue and a SLEEPOVER right here in this garden!"

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" screamed Saga, remembering the last sleepover.

Back to the cave…

"Are we there yet?" asked Aiolia nervously. A loud thump on his head was heard.

"OUCH! Would you stop it Milo? Jeez, you're always so mean," whined Aiolia.

"Just shut up already! You ask that every 10 seconds. Man, you're such a baby," retorted Milo.

"As if you're one to talk, NAIL-BITER! If we get lost, all we have to do is follow your bits of nails floating in the water!"

The two began rolling around, exchanging pinches. Yes, pinches.

"Mu! OUCH! Look what Milo's doing to me!" cried Aiolia.

"Hey monkey! Mu's not here!" shouted Milo. They scrambled up and saw what appeared to be another fork.

Mu had unknowingly left them behind when he walked down the left passageway all the while only thinking about one thing: revenge.

_I'll teach him! I will break what he treasures the most! _thought Mu angrily. He stomped onward, until finally, he saw an iron box sitting on top of a tall slab of rock. Mu took down the box and flipped the lid open.

Mu's angry expression eased into curiosity as he held up wooden miniature pieces of the 12 Zodiac animals.

"Found it huh?" asked Kanon, all trace of anger gone in his voice. His heart softened upon watching Mu's little face light up; examining each toy delicately as if it were made of glass instead of just wood.

Mu spun around, blushing a second time. "It's, I, these are beautiful… and can't possibly belong to you," added Mu, not wanting to forget Kanon's insults.

"You know what? You can have it. Take it as my apology to you guys," said Kanon.

Mu's eyes widened. As Kanon began to walk away, he put his little hand in his. Kanon blinked down at him.

"I cannot accept this. It's yours isn't it?"

Kanon smirked. "You say that, but I saw that your heart already did. Now let's all go home."

And this time, Mu smiled at him.

-+EPILOGUE+-

"So Saga was like, 'Noooooo! I will not drop my pants in front of Misty!'" recalling his dare, the ghost of Aioros immediately laughed and spun in midair.

"BUT HE STILL DID IT IN FRONT OF ME!" screamed the ghost of Shion, pulling at his transparent green hair.

Aioros snorted as he continued with his story in a more somber tone, "Yes… that was on the sleepover a couple of nights before I caught him about to stab her."

Shion took a deep breath. "And that's why you came to spend your afterlife with me up here on Star Hill?"

"Hey, I was lonely out there!" retorted Aioros. Shion just heaved another sigh.

**The End **

EXTRA: Sorry for not updating in a while but I hope you enjoyed this last bit. Please review!


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